Tuesday, April 28, 2015

GrabCar

Being a driver, i find it ridiculous on days i have to flag for a taxi. This happens during times when i need to send my car for servicing or repairs. First of all, available taxis are always nowhere in sight, especially during peak hour. And when it rains, it's a whole other story because the only sheltered place to wait for a one is a taxi stand, which i do not have at home. No doubt there's booking through phone which most taxi companies provide - but there's always a long wait time, especially during peak hours and when there's bad weather. One of the faster apps that would get me a taxi is GrabTaxi, but although faster than most other applications and call centres, it may also take a bit of time if no taxi drivers are available.

GrabTaxi launched its premium private hire service, GrabCar, last year. This year, they are introducing the GrabCar economy, which allows you to book a private car as an affordable alternative when the taxi supply is low.

It's basically the same as a taxi ride that reinforces GrabTaxi's brand promising a safe, certain and fast ride. I've tried it personally and it took barely a minute or two for me to get a driver on a Saturday afternoon, and approximately another 5 minutes for the driver to get to my place. What's even better is that you can track your driver on-the-go while he or she in on the way to pick you, so you have a better gauge of when they are arriving. And if you too busy prepping, the driver will call you to let you know they have arrived.

A quick chat with my driver revealed that GrabCar only allows a driver with at least 3 years of driving experience to join their team. This also means any GrabCar you get on will assure that you are in safe or if not the safest of hands. My driver also had car freshener in his car, which definitely made the ride more comfortable. I can be quite particular about hygiene but i guess you don't have to worry with GrabCar, because it is someone's car after all and i know how most drivers (like me) are particular with cleanliness in the car.

Now to the most important part - how do you book a GrabCar? Download the GrabTaxi application on your phone and select GrabCar as an option. GrabCar comes in GrabCar Economy (mostly salon cars), GrabCar+ Premium (luxury cars), GrabCar 6-seater and GrabCar 13-seater - now you don't have to worry if you are going out alone or as a group!

Next, select your pick-up location and drop-off location and hit the next button where the GrabCar team will allocate the nearest driver to you. In the next screen, you will also be advised on the amount of your fare (a fixed price) and payment can be made by credit card via the application or cash directly to your driver. By the way, the route to take to your destination is also entirely up to you.

One of the services GrabCar offers which i feel is very important is a 24-hour customer service line. This allows passengers to feedback or enquire on-the-go! So if you ever need to feedback, there's always someone to hear you out - anytime, anywhere.

It's that easy, even easier than grabbing a taxi i would say. And just for you people, GrabCar is offering a SGD8 off your first 2 GrabCar rides (any category) with no minimal spending. This means if your GrabCar ride is 8 bucks, you get the ride absolutely free!

All you have to do is key-in "GRABNICK" when making your booking via the application and enjoy SGD8 off your ride. Don't worry if the fare shown on the app does not change after inputting in the code, the deduction will be in the system and the driver will be aware of it! This promo code will run from 28 April 2015 - 12 May 2015 and can be used twice for each registered GrabTaxi user. Now there's no reason to be late for school, work or a meeting. You can go ahead, grab a car, and thank me later.